"Google Sync was designed to allow access to Google Mail, Calendar and Contacts via the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol. With the recent launch of CardDAV, Google now offers similar access via IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV, making it possible to build a seamless sync experience using open protocols. Starting January 30, 2013, consumers won't be able to set up new devices using Google Sync; however, existing Google Sync connections will continue to function." Others are free to implement the open protocols.

They very much could, but their track record shows that they're very much willing to work with appropriate standards bodies to ensure that the protocols and file formats, etc. that they work on are open and accessible, unlike Microsoft.. still.

Like their broken, non standard IMAP implementations. Just because something is a standard does not mean it is implicitly good. It is still subject to abuse by implementations.

It is more than likely they'll have a slower phase out period even for business customers but it'll go away there as well eventually.

It is a shot across the bow to Microsoft's stranglehold on the enterprise market with EAS.

IMAP isn't anything comparable to what businesses use or are used to when doing device management with EAS.

That is complete nonsense. Especially for Microsoft.

I'd be much less against this move if there was a viable alternative to EAS and it wasn't a functional step backwards for the sake of politics.

This is genuine question: I have a script I use to pull down my GMail, store it to a DB, and then index everything into Lucene (also playing around with clustering it, etc).

Anywho, so far it's worked fine. Actually pretty straightforward. It's one HUGE advantage of imap over EAS: it's really simple (and free) to create your own interface. But only if Google sticks to the standard

Seems to be working fine now (just checked on my script).

But let me know if you know something I don't! Might save me some bug hunting